Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba crassifolia

Draba incerta

Rocky Mountain Draba, Rocky Mountain whitlow-grass, snowbed Draba, snowbed whitlow-grass, thick-leaf Draba

whitlow-wort, Yellowstone Draba, Yellowstone Draba whitlow-wort, Yellowstone whitlow-grass, Yellowstone whitlow-wort
Habit Annuals or perennials; (short-lived); caudex branched (when present); usually scapose. Perennials; (cespitose, often pulvinate); caudex branched (dense with persistent leaf remains, branches sometimes terminating in sterile rosettes); scapose.
Stems

unbranched or, rarely, branched distally, (0.1–)0.3–1.1(–1.5) dm, usually glabrous throughout, rarely pubescent proximally, trichomes simple, 0.3–0.7 mm.

unbranched, (0.2–)0.4–1.4(–2.1) dm, often pubescent throughout, sometimes glabrous distally, trichomes often simple and 2–5-rayed, 0.1–0.5 mm, (sometimes with mostly subpectinate ones).
Basal leaves

rosulate; petiolate;

petiole ciliate throughout;

blade oblanceolate to obovate, (0.2–) 0.5–2.5(–3) cm × (1–)2–4(–6) mm, margins usually entire, rarely denticulate, (sometimes ciliate), surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent, with simple and 2-rayed trichomes, 0.3–0.9 mm.

rosulate; petiolate;

petiole (0–1 cm), ciliate throughout;

blade narrowly oblanceolate to linear, (0.4–)0.6–1.7(–2.5) cm × (1–)1.5–3.5(–5) mm, margins entire, (ciliate, trichomes usually simple, rarely 2-rayed, 0.2–1.1 mm), surfaces usually pubescent with short-stalked, pectinate trichomes, 0.15–0.5 mm, sometimes also with 4–6-rayed ones, (midvein usually obscure abaxially), sometimes glabrous adaxially.
Cauline leaves

usually 0, rarely 1;

sessile;

blade oblong to ovate, margins entire, surfaces glabrous.

usually 0 (or 1, as a bract);

sessile;

blade linear to oblong, margins entire, surfaces pubescent as basal.
Racemes

(2–)4–15(–25)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis slightly flexuous or straight, glabrous.

3–14(–30)-flowered, usually ebracteate, rarely proximalmost flowers bracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, glabrous or pubescent as stem.
Flowers

(chasmogamous, petaliferous);

sepals (green or purplish), ovate, 1–2 mm, glabrous;

petals yellow (often fading white), oblanceolate, 1.5–2.5(–3) × 0.5–1 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.15–0.25 mm.

sepals broadly ovate, 2.5–3.5(–4) mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and 2- or 3-rayed);

petals yellow (fading white), oblanceolate to obovate, 4–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

horizontal to divaricate-ascending, usually straight, rarely curved upward, 3–8(–10) mm (subequaling or shorter than fruit), glabrous.

ascending, straight, (2.5–)4–11(–27) mm, glabrous or pubescent, trichomes 2–5-rayed or pectinate.
Fruits

usually narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, rarely linear-lanceolate, plane, flattened, (3–)5–10 × 1.5–2.5 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules (8–)16–24(–30) per ovary;

style 0.02–0.1 mm.

broadly ovate to lanceolate, plane, flattened, 5–9(–11) × 2–4 mm;

valves glabrous or puberulent, trichomes simple and 2-rayed, 0.05–0.3 mm;

ovules 8–16(–20) per ovary;

style 0.2–0.9 mm.
Seeds

elliptic, 0.7–0.8 × 0.4–0.5 mm.

oblong, 1.1–1.5 × 0.7–1 mm.
2n

= 40.

= 112.

Draba crassifolia

Draba incerta
Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Rock outcrops and talus, subalpine meadows, alpine summits and tundra, bare snow-melt areas Rock outcrops, talus, gravelly areas, tundra
Elevation (50-)1000-4300 m ((200-)3300-14100 ft) 0-3300 m (0-10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; LB; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; n Europe (Norway, Sweden)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; QC; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

M. D. Windham (2004) presented morphological and chromosomal data suggesting that Draba crassifolia is an allopolyploid produced by hybridization between D. albertina and D. fladnizensis. Although the species is distinctive in large part, some individuals can be difficult to place and there is evidence of rare backcrossing (Windham, unpubl.). The attribution to Arizona is based on Schaack 345 (US) and Kearney & Peebles 12156 (US), both collected on the San Francisco Peaks in Coconino County. Draba crassifolia is found at elevations as low as 50 m in Greenland and the islands of Nunavut.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Draba incerta was shown by G. A. Mulligan (1972) to be sexually reproducing and 14-ploid with x = 8. It is often confused with the apomict D. oligosperma (2n = 32, 64). Draba incerta is readily separated from D. oligosperma by having well-formed (versus abortive) anthers and pollen, stalked (versus sessile) leaf trichomes, and ciliate (versus non-ciliate) basal leaves with obscure (versus prominent) midveins. Although both species have leafless scapes, one often finds a bract adnate to, or subtending, the proximalmost pedicel in D. incerta.

Draba incerta is found near sea level in Alaska.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 302. FNA vol. 7, p. 313.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba
Sibling taxa
D. abajoensis, D. albertina, D. aleutica, D. alpina, D. aprica, D. arabisans, D. arctica, D. arctogena, D. argyrea, D. arida, D. asprella, D. asterophora, D. aurea, D. aureola, D. bifurcata, D. borealis, D. brachycarpa, D. brachystylis, D. breweri, D. burkei, D. californica, D. cana, D. carnosula, D. chamissonis, D. cinerea, D. corrugata, D. corymbosa, D. crassa, D. cruciata, D. cuneifolia, D. cusickii, D. cyclomorpha, D. daviesiae, D. densifolia, D. exunguiculata, D. fladnizensis, D. glabella, D. globosa, D. graminea, D. grandis, D. grayana, D. heilii, D. helleriana, D. hitchcockii, D. howellii, D. incana, D. incerta, D. incrassata, D. inexpectata, D. jaegeri, D. juvenilis, D. kassii, D. kluanei, D. lactea, D. lemmonii, D. lonchocarpa, D. longisquamosa, D. macounii, D. maguirei, D. malpighiacea, D. micropetala, D. mogollonica, D. monoensis, D. mulliganii, D. murrayi, D. nemorosa, D. nivalis, D. norvegica, D. novolympica, D. oblongata, D. ogilviensis, D. oligosperma, D. oreibata, D. oxycarpa, D. palanderiana, D. pauciflora, D. paucifructa, D. paysonii, D. pectinipila, D. pedicellata, D. pennellii, D. petrophila, D. pilosa, D. platycarpa, D. porsildii, D. praealta, D. pterosperma, D. ramosissima, D. ramulosa, D. rectifructa, D. reptans, D. ruaxes, D. santaquinensis, D. saxosa, D. scotteri, D. serpentina, D. sharsmithii, D. sibirica, D. sierrae, D. simmonsii, D. smithii, D. sobolifera, D. spectabilis, D. sphaerocarpa, D. sphaeroides, D. standleyi, D. stenoloba, D. stenopetala, D. streptobrachia, D. streptocarpa, D. subalpina, D. subcapitata, D. subumbellata, D. trichocarpa, D. ventosa, D. verna, D. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis, D. zionensis
D. abajoensis, D. albertina, D. aleutica, D. alpina, D. aprica, D. arabisans, D. arctica, D. arctogena, D. argyrea, D. arida, D. asprella, D. asterophora, D. aurea, D. aureola, D. bifurcata, D. borealis, D. brachycarpa, D. brachystylis, D. breweri, D. burkei, D. californica, D. cana, D. carnosula, D. chamissonis, D. cinerea, D. corrugata, D. corymbosa, D. crassa, D. crassifolia, D. cruciata, D. cuneifolia, D. cusickii, D. cyclomorpha, D. daviesiae, D. densifolia, D. exunguiculata, D. fladnizensis, D. glabella, D. globosa, D. graminea, D. grandis, D. grayana, D. heilii, D. helleriana, D. hitchcockii, D. howellii, D. incana, D. incrassata, D. inexpectata, D. jaegeri, D. juvenilis, D. kassii, D. kluanei, D. lactea, D. lemmonii, D. lonchocarpa, D. longisquamosa, D. macounii, D. maguirei, D. malpighiacea, D. micropetala, D. mogollonica, D. monoensis, D. mulliganii, D. murrayi, D. nemorosa, D. nivalis, D. norvegica, D. novolympica, D. oblongata, D. ogilviensis, D. oligosperma, D. oreibata, D. oxycarpa, D. palanderiana, D. pauciflora, D. paucifructa, D. paysonii, D. pectinipila, D. pedicellata, D. pennellii, D. petrophila, D. pilosa, D. platycarpa, D. porsildii, D. praealta, D. pterosperma, D. ramosissima, D. ramulosa, D. rectifructa, D. reptans, D. ruaxes, D. santaquinensis, D. saxosa, D. scotteri, D. serpentina, D. sharsmithii, D. sibirica, D. sierrae, D. simmonsii, D. smithii, D. sobolifera, D. spectabilis, D. sphaerocarpa, D. sphaeroides, D. standleyi, D. stenoloba, D. stenopetala, D. streptobrachia, D. streptocarpa, D. subalpina, D. subcapitata, D. subumbellata, D. trichocarpa, D. ventosa, D. verna, D. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis, D. zionensis
Synonyms D. crassifolia var. parryi, D. parryi D. exalata, D. incerta var. laevicapsula, D. incerta var. peasei, D. laevicapsula, D. peasei
Name authority Graham: Edinburgh New Philos. J. 7: 182. (1829) Payson: Amer. J. Bot. 4: 261. (1917)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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